Instrument Calibration

GSFC laser calibration setup (courtesy Joel McCorkel)

Teams within the Biosphric Sciences Laboratory are responsible for the characterization and calibration of NASA’s passive optical imaging instruments, including Terra and Aqua MODIS, NPP and JPSS VIIRS, EO-1 ALI/Hyperion, and Landsat. Calibration involves relating observed instrument response to physical radiance or reflectance units, and is a basic requirement for producing climate-quality biophysical products and long-term assessments of how the Earth is changing. Calibration work involves laboratory measurements (made in collaboration with the National Institute for Standards and Technology), pre-launch characterization of new instruments, and assessing on-orbit performance for years or even decades following launch.